Congress released some of the 3,000 Facebook ads and Twitter accounts created by Russian operatives to try and sway American voters in the 2016 Presidential Election. Seen by up to 126 million Americans, the posts raise questions about why social media giants hadn't done more to fight against Russian interference on their sites. U.S. Intelligence services say the Russian use of social media was part of an effort to sway the election in favor of Donald Trump. The ads encouraged protests and demonstrations, exploiting social issues. The Russian operatives used Facebook tools to target people with strong feelings about gun rights, African American political activism, illegal immigration or issues that might affect how Americans cast their vote, according to lawmakers. One ad, aimed at those with an interest in civil rights and their leaders, showed a man claiming to be Bill Clinton's illegitimate son. Advertisements were not only in support for Trump, but also in opposition to his campaign. Another video parodying Trump was targeted towards people interested in BlackNews.com, HuffPost Politics or HuffPost Black Voices. Facebook's top lawyer told Congress on Wednesday the Russian effort was "fairly rudimentary." All kinds of companies use these same tools, targeting potential customers. As Facebook's lawyer was referencing, it's the same idea as when you search for something online and see advertisements for that item everywhere on Facebook. Spreading fake content is another Russian strategy aimed at undermining trust in information sources, Clint Watts, from George Washington University's Center for Cyber and Homeland Security, said. Facebook company executives said that going forward they would verify political ad buyers in federal elections, requiring them to reveal correct names and locations. The site will also create new graphics where users can click on the ads and find out who is really behind them. Below are images from The Washington Post, explaining how these ads worked: Among the advertisements that were released, the targeting options for those posts can also be seen. Some of the posts seemed like they were from trustworthy organizations. The Russian pages paid to promote about 3,000 advertisements, reaching 11.4 million people.
Some Facebook users who saw the ads, liked the pages that promoted them. Other users shared the ads, which caused them to show up on their own or friends' feeds. After users engaging with these ads, the reach of these posts grew to 126 million people. These posts were not only shared by ordinary Americans, but by members of the candidate's campaigns and family members. You might have seen or even shared these posts on Facebook during the campaign. You're not alone. Instances like these show how easily false information can be spread over the Internet. That is why it is important to take verifying information into your own hands. Sources: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/11/01/how-russian-trolls-got-into-your-facebook-feed/?utm_term=.97874a98c7c3 https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2017/business/russian-ads-facebook-anatomy/?tid=a_inl&utm_term=.9ac757785913 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/ct-russian-facebook-ads-20171101-story.html
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